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Why You Should Wait 90 Minutes Before Your First Coffee

Posted on Jul 11, 2025 By Alisha Smith

Grabbing a coffee the moment you wake up sometimes feels like a non-negotiable form of life support. However, if you want to maximise energy, avoid crashes, and keep caffeine working for you (not against you), here’s why waiting 90 minutes after waking makes a difference.

1. Let Your Body Wake Itself Up First

Your body naturally releases cortisol in the morning; it’s a key hormone that helps gets you going. Downing caffeine too early messes with this, making you dependent on coffee rather than your natural wake-up system. Instead, wait 90 minutes, and let your cortisol do its thing first.

2. More Energy, Fewer Crashes

If caffeine jumps in too soon while cortisol is still high, it doesn’t hit the same. The result? A mid-morning energy slump that leaves you reaching for more coffee. Delaying caffeine extends alertness naturally, so you feel energised for longer.

3. Keeps Caffeine Effective

Hitting caffeine first thing every day? Your body adapts, and suddenly, that morning coffee doesn’t pack the same punch. Holding off keeps your sensitivity high, so when you do have it, it actually works.

4. Better Sleep Later On

Messing with your natural rhythms in the morning can throw off melatonin production at night. This can equal struggling to switch off when it’s time to sleep. Delaying caffeine helps keep your sleep cycle in check.

What to Do Instead?

Hydrate: Water or bone broth first. Your body needs adequate hydration after hours without a drink. (Here are 4 reasons bone broth makes the ultimate morning hydration.)
Get sunlight: Natural light helps regulate your circadian rhythm.
Move: Stretch, walk, or do some light movement to wake up properly.

Caffeine isn’t the enemy, it’s just about timing. Hold off for 90 minutes, and you’ll get more energy, less reliance, and better focus throughout the day.